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IdentityintheMulticulturalWorld
second-thatofthepostmodernone.Teidentityofthemodernworldwas
shapedmainlybytheworkplace,andthefixedprocessofsocialisationwherethe
orderofmacrostructuresandself-constructionoftheunitwerecloselylinked.
Withoutobstacles,thesocio-economicsystemofthemodernworld,modelled
peopletobecometheactualorpotentialperformersintheworkingprocesses,
findingotherrolesaslesssignificant.Inthiscontext,theconceptofhomofaber,
orworkingman,becomesrelevant,referringtoapersonwhohashislherper-
sonalityshapedbyagameofamanwiththeartificialenvironment(amachine)
(bell1998).Itisworthrecallingthat,forthefirsttime,thetermhomofaberwas
usedbyGiovanniPicodellaMirandola(1463-1494),aphilosopherandawriter
oftheItalianRenaissance.Hisgreatestwork,uTedignityofMan”wasconsid-
eredamanifestoofhumanism.Picoisalsoconsideredtobetheauthorofthe
upersonality”concept,andoftheclaimthatsciencecanrecognisesomethingas
trueonlyifitcanbeprovedanddemonstrated.Yet,inthiscontext,theconcept
ofhomofaberandthecorrespondingstatementutteredbytheItalianRenais-
sancephilosopher,thatueverymanisthearchitectofhisownfortune,”remain
mostimportant.Tissentencedrewattentiontothepersonaldevelopmentofa
man,whichisthephilosophythatappearedintheideasoftheRenaissance.Te
conceptofhomofaberhashadaparticularimpactonthepositivistthought.For
thepropagationofhisviews,particularlythesedepictingamanasautonomous
andindependentofGod,Picocameintoconflictwiththechurch.Heargued
thathumannatureisundefined,andeachunitcanpotentiallybecomewhom
helshewantstobe.Peoplethemselvesdeterminetheirfatebyacting.Itmaybe
usefultorecallherethatPicowasafriendofGirolamoSavonarola.Tisfriendly
bondprobablycausedthepoisoningofthephilosopherbytheopponentsof
therevolutionarydominican.Aferall,arsenic,leadandmercurywerefound
inPico)sbones.
Inthemodernstageofsocialdevelopment,thephenomenonofposition
inheritanceisstillemphasised,althoughitgiveswaytotheuniversalityofthe
pre-industrialstagewhichwascharacterisedbyMargaretMeadaspostfigurative
culture.Itsmostimportantfeaturewasthefactthatu[…]continuityismain-
tainedthroughdenialofeverythingthatinterfereswithasenseofidentityand
continuity,fromone)smemory”(Mead1978:53).Here,astheauthorofuTree
Stages”writes,therearereadymadeanswerstothequestions:uWhoamI?What
istheroleofmylifeasanindividualinmyculture?HowshouldItalkandwalk,
eatandsleep,loveandmakealiving,beaparentandacceptdeath?”(Mead
1978:31).Teanswerstothesequestionsappearvirtuallyatbirthinaparticu-
larculture,becauseuit[…]providesaclearersenseofcontinuityoveralong
time”(Mead1978:54).Tisphenomenonhasnotgoneintotheglobalarchive,
butitisstillcharacteristic,amongothers,ofindigenouspeoples.Tesearethe
communitieslivingonthemarginsofglobalprocesses,whicharestillstruggling
withracismanddiscrimination-currently,thereare370millionofthem.
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